The caterpillar spins a cocoon and waits for its transformation. I call that process the dark night of the soul. The caterpillar melts. From the liquid the butterfly is formed. After it emerges, its body is swollen with liquid. Through an intense struggle the liquid is distributed into its wings. If it didn’t persevere it would die.

Our hard trials enclose us in the unknown. Are you in a difficult circumstance right now? Do you feel overwhelmed with no answers or solutions? You may feel like an old rubber band. If you are stretched any further you will snap in two.

David was overwhelmed. Psalm 61:1-2 says, “Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” We process the present through embracing Him. We cling to His words of truth. 

Our trials purify our faith. The enemy of our soul plants thoughts that take seed and seep into our thought-life. They lie dormant until we face an impossibility. Doubts emerge.